Will Thycer
by BrackenFox
Summary: <html><head></head>Bill Cypher is furious. He has no idea what makes Dipper and Mabel so special. The answer isn't in their minds, so he decides to possess a vessel, earn their trust and find out once and for all. But there is an unexpected accident, and Bill's vessel is wounded, leaving Bill with Amnesia - something the dream demon was never prepared for.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The forest was dark, the night heavy and black, full of a deathening chorus of nocturnal creatures. Crickets played an eery symphony, owls shrieked from distant trees and the odd twig would snap under the weight of an unknown creature, pacing it's way through the moist bracken and dead leaves.

There was a whooshing sound, and the forest fell silent. It hadn't been the usual swoop of air under the wings of a nighttime hunter, but a sound much more alien. With silence upon the forest, the cold seemed to grow bitter, a chilled breeze sighed between the trees and the whoosh could be heard again, but this time a low, pained moan came with it.

A dull golden glow began to appear in the distance, gently at first, then it grew more intense. Gliding into view. A triangular shape not unknown around the area of Gravity Falls.

The triangle seemed to flutter mid flight, then sank to the ground, fatigued. Two small black arms propped him up from the damp grass, but his one eye was closed, his hat flopped over almost in defeat. Yet his grip on his cane grew tighter, his arm beginning to shake with anger that was overtaking him. Immediately, the forest lost it's colour and time halted.

Bill threw his head back, opened his eye and screamed with fury into his dreamscape. The cry echoed on for what seemed forever, until Bill sunk back onto his knees and dulled the flames that were dancing behind his iris.

"I can't believe it!" Bill grimaced, lifting an image of a boy from nothing. The young boy was none other than Dipper - his determined grin peering from beneath his pinetree hat. "How could I be outwitted by two _idiot _kids!" Another image appeared, a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to Dipper. It was Mabel. Smiling sweetly in a shooting star sweater. Bill held back another scream, his pupil shrinking as fire grew all around him. Finally another picture drifted from the space infront of him, an elderly, unattractive man, sporting a fez and wearing a suit. Stan Pines.

"There's something interesting about you three." The dream demon said out loud, pointing a black finger at Stan's nose and frowning, "I know lot's of things. But there's something about you I'm missing. What is it?" The three images began to rotate around Bill, he studied each with great interest. "The journals are connecting us, I know that. I have always known that. But I had no idea you would prove to be such a pain in my triangular butt."

He groaned again, lifting his head and pretending to wipe sweat from his forehead.

"As much fun as experiencing pain was, I can still feel that pinetree's body failing on me. I didn't know feeling exhausted was so tiring." The three images immediately disappeared and Bill was out of his Dreamscape, propped up against a tall tree in the forest once again. "I need to find out why these morons are so important... I can get into their heads and read their darkest secrets while they're asleep - but I've done that at least five times already." Bill scratched his chin thoughtfully, stopping to adjust his bowtie after a moment.

"Maybe," he continued, "Maybe I'm snooping in all the wrong places. The human mind is so small and insignificant, I need to observe them in person and not through their minds..." A finger raised in the air as an idea popped into his head. "That's just it! I need a vessel I can possess. I can earn their trust and snoop in the Mystery shack when their backs are turned. It's perfect!"

He rose into the air. But struggled and panted with the effort. Regardless, his determination kept him going and eventually the dream demon came to a long road. Once dark and eery, now it reflected the glow of the rising sun. It was definitely heading the direction of the Mystery Shack, and Bill's many trips into Stan's mind told him plenty of coach-dwelling tourists found themselves within the highly priced confines of the Shack's gift shop. All he had to do was wait for a coach to drive past and nab a vessel.

It took less than an hour for the first coach to arrive, and Bill glided through it's metallic walls, invisible to the few passengers aboard. His flight was wobbly and he was surprised he still felt fatigue, but he shrugged it off and eyed up the potential suitors.

There was an elderly couple on board, both sickeningly old. Bill could see their death counters above their heads shrinking with every passing minute. The old man wouldn't survive the holiday, his wife would probably die of grief. How simple. How pathetic. Humans were so weak willed and so easily attached it made Bill snigger.

Another option was the coach driver. He was middle aged, and the steering wheel almost rubbed against his protruding stomach as he drove along the winding road. There were coffee stains down his uniform and a yellowing beard which suggested he smoked. Bill rejected that concept immediately, he refused to have an unhealthy host if he was staying for an extended period of time.

Finally there was a young teenage boy. His rucksack was chucked recklessly onto the seat beside him, shaggy brunette hair covered his head and his skin was deeply tanned. The boy's blue eyes stared with boredom out of the window, and Bill decided he was the only acceptable choice he had. All in all, the boy's body was in good shape. He was a little on the skinny side under his navy hoody and dark jeans, but he was in a better state than the elderly couple and the driver.

"You must be on your way to visit family or whatever," Bill's golden form floated unseen by the young stranger. "I'm sure they won't miss you." A thunderous laughter erupted from the dream demon as he launched himself into his new body.

The boy gasped and stiffened in his seat, his eyes momentarily rolling back into his head at the shock of his new master.

Right at that moment, a doe darted into the road, causing the driver to slam on the break with a choked cry of alarm. The new vessel's head dropped forwards from the force, slamming into the seat infront of him. Bill inhaled as if to shout in defiance, but he was cut short as the pain erupted through his head and everything went dark.

"Jeez, it's a hell of a gash.." A deep, gruff voice stirred him into conciousness.

"Do you think we should call an ambulance?" It was still dark, but a young girl's voice was clearly audible in the whispered murmuring of voices. They were all above him. Surrounding him. But it was so dark. Was he dead?

"Hang on. I think there's a first aid kit inside, we can butterfly stitch it shut." This third voice was a girl's too, but older than the first. Definitely a teenager.

"Wendy, wait up! I'll help you look!" That must of been a young boy. His voice was cracking a little with the urgency of the situation. A dull pain began to throb, and light began to filter through the slowly opening eyelids as the unconcious boy began to slowly come to.

"Oh thank god you're not dead. Although that would've been great for publicity." An old man blocked out the sun, towering over the broken body on the floor. The pain in the boy's head increased and instinctively his hand fluttered to nurse it, only to retreat with smears of fresh blood.

"Can I leave this guy with you?" A voice from behind him croaked, the boy hadn't the energy to turn his head to look. It was another man's voice, "I've gotta keep going on my route and he's made me late as it is."

"What? Why would-"

"Yes!" The old man was cut off by the young girl, who had unashamedly thrown her arms around the wounded strangers neck and hugged him tightly to her chest, "We'll make sure he's one-hundred-percent not broken anymore! You can trust us!"

"Alright, whatever." Already the man's voice was distant. He was leaving. Moments later there was a deep roar as a large engine started up and thundered away. The girl was still clutching the injured boy to her chest protectively. The old man groaned.

"For God's sake Mabel. No we can't keep him."

"But Gruncle Stan! He's hurt! We can't just leave him like this!" Mabel stared big eyed and pleading at her 'Gruncle'. The injured teenager pulled himself weakly from her grip and propped himself up on his arms.

"Where am I?" His voice was coarse and dry, only now did he realise how thirsty he was. "What happened?" He clutched his throat as he stared at the two forms before him.

"Let me get you some water!" Mabel darted from her Gruncle's side and into the building behind them. Stan stared down his unwelcome visitor with distaste.

"Who are you?" He clearly stated, answering the boy's questions with another question. There was a long pause, broken only by the clutter of glasses inside the building as Mabel tried to pour the boy some water. Finally, the teenager dropped his gaze, his sky blue eyes dropping to the floor and at the specks of blood that had dribbled from head.

"I'm... I... I don't know..." He winced, rubbing the side of his head with his cleaner palm, "I... I think... Will? I think my name's... Will..." He glanced back up at Stan hopefully, "Yes, that sounds right."

"Will?" The old man repeated, frowning. After a moment of silence, he snorted, "Well, _Will, _we don't take kindly to freeloaders here. So you can stay until your better, but as soon as your fit to leave you're out of here. Capiche!?" A stubby finger prodded into Will's chest and Will nodded nervously.

"Stan, leave the poor kid alone!" The teenage girl was back, followed closely by the younger boy and his sister Mabel. "He's had a bad day, let us fix him up before you start bullying him."

"Seriously, Wendy? Don't tell me you have the hots for this kid too?" Stan crossed his arms defensively and Mabel glanced enviously at Wendy just as Dipper glanced enviously at Will. Wendy rolled her eyes.

"Don't be stupid, he's way too young for me. Just go inside and watch TV, we can help the poor guy out." Wendy pointed to the door and Stan reluctantly obeyed - probably because of the promise of watching TV uninterrupted as the household fixed the broken stranger.

"My name's Will by the way." Will winced as Wendy cut thin strips of medical tape and used them to seal his wound. Every slight touch made him realise just how bruised his skull was. It made him feel dizzy, so he gratefully sipped the cold water Mabel had fetched him. He could see her from the corner of his vision, almost giddy with the excitement he was enjoying the water so much.

"And I'm Wendy." Wendy confirmed, then pointed at each of the siblings, "The lovesick schoolgirl is Mabel, and this little dude is her twin brother Dipper. That old guy is Stan, but he means well. He's just a master rip-off artist who'd rob you blind if you gave him the chance." All three of them laughed, and Will couldn't help but smile. Yet his head had begun to throb harder when he heard their names. He tried not to think about it and sipped more water.


	2. Chapter 2

Wendy had insisted Will try to stay awake for the time being. She'd mentioned that if he had concussion, getting some sleep would be the worst decision. So that night, Will sat on the floor of the Mystery Shack's lounge wrapped in a blanket and watched TV. Until quite recently Stan had been sat in his chair mindlessly watching the screen. Some old timey black and white film that he'd eventually fallen asleep during. Will had been absolutely hypnotised by it. He sat with his knees hugged to his chest like a child and watched it start to finish. Only when the final credits began scrolling up the screen did he realise Stan had left to go to bed.

Will stood up and sat on the now empty chair. It was cold now, so Stan must have left some time before. Late night ads began to run and in his tired boredom, Will tried to remember the events that led up to now. Focussing made his head hurt, but he had little else to do and the pain stopped him from falling asleep.

He remembered being sat on the bus, the cold hard impact of metal against his forehead, then waking up outside the Mystery Shack. But his name? That felt alien. It seemed right, but at the same time it felt wrong. He didn't know why he was on the bus or where he had been travelling. He didn't know if he had family or friends.

It was then he noticed his rucksack. The driver had dumped it beside him after carrying him unconcious from the vehicle. Maybe there'd be a clue in there. Will slipped off the chair and walked hesitantly to the bag. It lay tattered, plain black and stitched in some places. The zip on the front pocket had broken. In it's place three safety pins kept it shut and secure. The poor excuse for a bag was the only clue he had.

Will knelt beside it, clutching the zip of the main compartment in one hand and the tattered fabric of the rucksack in the other. He tugged sharply, but it took a few tries for it to open completely.

Inside, there were a mass of unfolded clothes. Some smelt clean, others smelt like they hadn't touched water for months. There was a toothbrush, bristles splayed so much that it was obviously in need of replacing, a stick of deodarant, a comb, a half-empty bottle of shower soap, an empty tube of toothpaste, and a wallet that looked in a similar state to the bag.

The wallet contained no driving license or ID of any kind, no photos of any possible kin or address, no bank or credit cards. It had a few cents in the coin compartment and twenty five dollars in notes - but nothing else. Why? Will sighed loudly and slumped against the wall, chucking his wallet to floor in defeat. Why would he not have any bank cards or ID? No photos or clues to who he was? Tears began to prick in the corners of his eyes and he buried his face in his hands, holding back the rush of hopelessness that had unfolded inside him.

"Will...?"

He started at the familiar voice, his head jolting up as he hurriedly wiped tears from his eyes. Mabel stood in the center of the room with a glass of milk in her hand. Her hair was unkept from bed and her eyelids clearly heavy. The television caused a dim glow to dance on her face. But despite how clearly tired she was, there was a strangely understanding look of concern in her eyes.

Mabel slowly walked over in her pink nightshirt, it hung below her knees and had a boss-eyed pug printed on the stomach. Around it, yellow words read "Not a morning Person", it was dopey, but sweet.

Will's eyes dropped to the wallet and the pile of screwed up clothes he had thrown on the floor, his heart dropped. He still didn't even know his surname or age.

"What's wrong?" Mabel was sat next to him, hugging her knees with one hand, cradling her milk with the other. She studied the mess infront of them. It took a while for Will to think of how to respond.

"I don't know who I am," His voice was quiet, exhausted, "It bothers me that I had this life that I suddenly don't even remember. What if I don't ever remember?"

Mabel gulped her milk, then wiped the liquid moustache from her upper lip with her sleeve. She looked sadly at Will, then smiled reassuringly.

"It'll be ok, y'know why?"

"Why? How can this be ok?" Will gestured to his emptied rucksack and the contents strewn across the floor.

"Because you can make a whole new super amazing awesome new life!" She grinned innocently, "No point thinking about something you can't even think about, so you can just focus on making this life a super fun one." Will turned his head to look at her, he studied her expression carefully, but despite the long pause she still smiled. In the end he couldn't help but smile a little back.

"Thanks... Mabel. You're right. It's just..." His smile wavered a little, "I have nobody. I don't even know if I did in the first place."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here! I'm the most here-ist, totally-friends-with-you-ist, cutist person there is!" She chuckled to herself and finished her milk. "I'm gonna go back to sleeps now. Goodnight! ...Boop." Suddenly her forefinger pressed his nose, she chuckled to herself again and stood, before slowly leaving the room.

Will touched the tip of his nose with mild confusion, but found himself smiling anyway. It was clear to him now - if he couldn't remember who he was then he'd just need to make some new memories instead.


	3. Chapter 3

Will woke up to late morning sunlight shining through the Shack's lounge window, fractured by the thick blinds. He lay propped up in Stan's arm chair, uncovered and cold. He must have dozed off after Mabel went to bed, his rucksack still lay emptied on the floor, but someone had turned the TV off. There was a faint sound of people talking coming from near the entrance of the building. Will slid from the chair, yawned and stretched. The movement caused a stab of pain through his forehead and he winced.

As he passed through the doorway Stan's voice could be heard talking loudly above the hushed murmurs of a crowd. It sounded like he was presenting something, claiming it was the most shocking and horrifying thing Gravity Falls had ever seen. Will walked into the room, only to find himself surrounded by clearly fake taxidermy monsters - Jackelopes, Griffons, Mermaids... he rolled his eyes and looked over to the crowd of people as they surrounded Stan. Whatever he was presenting was hidden beneath a red blanket. He clutched a golden rope, seeming so intent and sure that what was underneath was terrible and gut-wrenchingly disgusting.

The blanket was torn off, revealing a large mirror underneath. It reflected the many faces of the audience who gasped in unison as the grand unveiling proved to just be a joke. Will laughed, but the tourists grumbled and muttered, turning around in distaste and walking for the exit. Stan suddenly transformed, leaping from the makeshift podium the mirror was propped on top of and rushing to get his audience back.

"Wait! It was a joke! God, anybody would think you didn't have a sense of humor!" Despite his pleads, the tourists filtered out one by one. "Ah, who needs ya. We'll get another coach load in an hour anyway, guess I better find some new material to replace the mirror..." He looked over thoughtfully at the reflective glass and noticed Will standing awkwardly by the door. "Kid, what are you doing here? You'll scare away business with that gash on y'head. Get back inside!"

"Stan I think _you _scared away the customers." Wendy sat at the counter, feet propped up on its surface, her face was buried in a magazine and she didn't even look up as she spoke. Her red hair hung over her face, but Will could see a faint hint of a smile. "The customers are gone, let him look around a bit."

"Ugh, fine." Stan glowered at Will accusingly, yet Will couldn't take him seriously with the fez he had on and tried to stifle a smirk. But the old man had already walked out of the shop.

"Hey, uh... Will was it?" Wendy slid her feet from off the counter and put her magazine down, finally giving eye contact. Will nodded. "Did you want a drink or something? Food? Shower? Anything?"

"What is this place?" Will wandered aimlessly about the area, studying the many false creatures and crazy stories stapled to the walls and presented on pillars.

"It's just the Mystery Shack, dude. Stan's most reliable scam. People pay to see this junk."

"Do you live here?" Will turned to face her and she chuckled.

"Nah, this is just where I work. Mabel, Dipper and Stan live here. This is just a summer job to me. But I like it here, it's such a small work force it kind of feels like a crazy family, y'know?"

Will felt a wave of loneliness hit him and he dropped his gaze sadly.

"You okay, man?"

"Yeah I'm fine... I just still don't remember anything." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to search what memories he had for a clue. Wendy stood up and walked around the counter.

"Listen, if you still can't remember in a few days, I'll talk to Stan. He can probably be persuaded to hire another hand around here." She smiled and walked towards the doorway, then into the kitchen. Will watched as she left, stood in the center of the empty expanse of the Mystery Shack Gift shop. The owl wall clock tick-tocked eerily. It's eyes flitting left and right.

"Hey!" The sudden presence brought Will from his internal search for memories, he turned to the voice and almost came nose to nose with Dipper, who was frowning suspiciously. Will searched for a response.

"Uh.. Hi?" Dipper's expression began to change, from a look of suspicion to a look of fear. He stared silently for a long time into his eyes.

"...Your eyes!" He stepped back, not shifting his gaze. It made Will shift uncomfortably.

"Wh-what's wrong with them?" His hand pointed blankly to his own face, gauging Dipper's reaction.

"Their pupils are... slits!" Dipper was pointing too now, and Will stepped slowly away, turning to look in the mirror. His reflection took him by surprise - this felt like the first time he'd seen himself. It felt alien.

He leant closer to the glass, looking deep in his eyes. Dipper was right, where everyone's pupils were normally perfect circles - Will had catlike slits.

"I... I don't understand. Is there something wrong with me?" Will turned to look back at Dipper, who was now walking towards him with slight menace.

"Look, you might have fooled everyone else but if you are _up to something?_ I will not let you hurt anybody. I've got my eye on you - you and your creepy eyes!" He prodded this new intruder hard in the chest, and he stumbled a little with the force. It was at this point Will realised he was taller than Dipper, and didn't take too kindly to the tone he was being addressed in.

"What is your _problem!?_" He prodded Dipper back, "Look, I'm sorry I got dumped here by that coach driver but I literally didn't have a choice. I have nowhere to go, and I understand if I'm not hugely welcome here, but I am grateful for everything everyone has done!" Will was walking towards Dipper now, and Dipper was backing away nervously. He had clearly noticed Will's height difference too. "I'm not trying to muscle in, and I'm _sorry _if you don't like me, ok!? I just want to know _what _it is about me that has made you decide already!"

Will retreated now, lowering his finger and walking out onto the porch, he sat on the ledge and hung his legs off, staring off into the surrounding forest. His head throbbed with the outburst of anger. There was a sound of footsteps approaching as Dipper slowly followed him and sat next to him, leaving a respectful distance between the two. His pinetree hat hung over his eyes with shame.

"Listen man, I'm sorry. You're right. You've been through a lot, and it's wrong of me judge you. I mean... this is the first conversation with you I've had." Dipper sighed loudly "Mabel and Wendy like you. Stan let you sleep in his chair. So yeah... sorry... about pointing out your eyes too."

There was a long moment of silence between the two of them, distant bird song hung around the tree tops and reached a crescendo when the sun reached it's highest point in the sky. The soft breeze was pleasant and cooling. Will held a hand out to Dipper, half-smiling as he did so.

"Dude, it's cool. I have to admit, my eyes are pretty creepy. Let's just start over, deal?"

Dipper studied the outstretched hand and smiled back.

"Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

They were unusual, Will had admitted it. And now the morning made way to afternoon then faded into evening while he had restlessly stared at his own eyes as often as he could, trying to work out why they were different from everyone elses. A medical condition, perhaps? It didn't seem right and didn't trigger any memories of the sort. He paced through the house, occasionally pausing to look at his reflection in a mirror or glass cabinet. The routine had gone on for so long both Mabel and Dipper stood watching him at the bottom of the stairs as he walked left and right in deep thought.

"What's he doing?" Mabel asked her brother, not looking away from Will.

"I'm... not sure..." Dipper scratched his head under his hat and raised an eyebrow quizingly. Will still hadn't noticed them and continued to repeat his ritual.

"Hey Dudes." A large man with a round stomach and a small hat stepped from the kitchen and walked over to the twins. He looked up at the spectacle at the top of the stairs. "What's with the new dude?"

"Hey Soos." They both said in unison, seemingly unsurprised at his sudden appearance. They didn't even turn to look at him.

"That's Will, he was in an accident yesterday and he can't remember who he is." Dipper explained, as the injured house guest continued another loop of the upper floor.

"He's been doing this since this morning." Mabel finished and Soos nodded.

"So why don't you go and ask what's up?" Soos shrugged, and Mabel and Dipper paused. They looked silently at each other. Their friend had made a good point - they'd spent a lot of time staring and not even bothered to help.

"Soos is right." Mabel agreed sheepishly, "Let's go and find out if we can help." Without waiting to hear her brother's response, she rushed eagerly up the stairs. Dipper followed swiftly, he still didn't feel comfortable with Will, but Soos' suggestion had made him realise he had agreed to give Will a chance.

_Thud._

Mabel had forgot to put on the brakes and had collided into her guest, causing them both to fall against the wall and onto the floor. Will groaned and Mabel pushed herself up, realising with heated cheeks that she was on top of him. Dipper reached the top of the stairs at that moment.

"Will, are you okay? Did you bump your head again?" Mabel reached forward to Will's cut forehead, but the surprised teenager coughed.

"I'm fine you're just... just... sitting on my chest..." He choked. Just then, Dipper cleared his throat and crossed his arms awkwardly from behind them. Mabel squeaked and jumped up, helping the older guy to his feet, she was grinning smugly and blushing brightly. Her twin rolled his eyes then walked closer.

"Hey, Will? What have you been doing up here all day?" He queried as the teen brushed the dust from his hoody.

"Oh.. I er- was just..." He dropped his gaze, "I was thinking about when you pointed out my eyes earlier - that they look more like cat eyes than human eyes. I was trying to remember why." He looked sullen, as though the idea he was different upset him. Mabel was frowning at Dipper. Dipper saw.

"What?"

"You don't just go and point out people's eyes, Dipper. That's mean. And rude."

"Oh, give me a break. I said sorry. But you have to admit, they don't look human. No offense man."

"None taken." Will shrugged.

Mabel leaned closer to Will and stared deep into his eyes. She squinted thoughtfully then after a minute of awkward silence she let out a loud shriek.

"What!? What is it!?" The teenager covered his eyes with surprise as Mabel ran to her brother and began shaking him by the shoulders. As the peircing sound came to an end she started to grin.

"Dipper! Don't you realise!? He could be a _vampire! _Or maybe something even _cooler!_"

Dipper was still being roughly shaken backwards and forwards. He managed to string a sentence despite this.

"Whoa- uh- Mabel. Please... stop.. shaking... me!" She stopped and turned to Will, who had uncovered his eyes.

"Vampire?" He looked down at her curiously.

"Yes!" She beamed, waving her hands excitedly in his face, "That is a good idea and I'm so glad I'm such a genius."

"What's a good idea?" Dipper blinked and Mabel was hopping from foot to foot infront of him, keen to share her plan.

"Will might be something not quite human. We have to find where he belongs!"

"Whoa, Sis, calm down!" Dipper glanced at Will, who just watched with confusion as Mabel freaked out in front of him. He pulled his sister closer and turned them both so they had their backs to the teenager. He dropped his voice to a whisper and hunched over secretly.

"Mabel, we can't just blurt out these things. The journal said not to trust anyone. And there's something about Will that makes me nervous."

"Psh, don't be such a scaredy cat. He's scared and alone and hot. We can trust him. Besides, if he is a vampire, we might get a cooler army than a gnome army if we have to go against Gideon when he gets out of jail."

There was a pause.

"...Vampire army..." Dipper thought out loud, then stood up and sighed with defeat.

"Me and my sister have agreed that we will help you remember where you come from - human or not."


	5. Chapter 5

The twins stood scrutinising Will from a few yards away. He sat warily on a tree stump as the setting sun shrunk behind the trees and the evening summer air became more comfortable to bear. The sky was growing redder by the minute, and Will was growing uncomfortable with the sibling stare. They'd been like this for an hour now, in between hushed conversation as they discussed how best to start the long search for this stranger's origin.

"Uhh... Guys?" Will hesitated, "Shouldn't we make a start or something..? The sun's setting."

There was a moment of silence and Dipper's brow furrowed as if he was trying to think faster. But Mabel jumped up, her mouth agape in an adorable brace-laced grin. She'd clearly had a eureka moment.

"We're starting with vampires!" She cried, "They come out at night, the sun burns them. Perfect time to find out if you're a vampire, right?"

Will almost flinched with surprise as her voice peirced the quiet dusk, but he smiled softly. It touched him that they were both so enthusiastic to help. Dipper clicked his tongue and slowly pointed at Mabel with relunctant agreement.

"Gotta admit, she's right. This would be the perfect time to start if you were a vampire."

Mabel spun around once, still grinning. But Will looked up.

"Surely if I was a vampire, the sun would burn like hell."

Both twins fell silent and shot each other unsure glances. Dipper couldn't believe he'd overlooked that obvious flaw in their plan and he flopped onto the ground, sitting with a prominent slouch. A day of thinking was still exhausting, even for someone who thought more than they should on a regular basis.

"Maybe you're only half vampire!" Mabel lunged at Will and placed her hands on her shoulders. He was surprised at how gentle her touch was despite the ferocity of the lunge. He blinked, feeling a little embarassed for a reason he wasn't sure of. Then he turned his gaze to Dipper who seemed to have a natural knowledge for the supernatural.

"D'you think that could be possible?"

Dipper looked up and studied Will's face for a moment. He still felt unease, and he didn't want to check the journal infront of him. His gut instincts were telling him to be cautious and he preferred to listen to his gut when it came to such a delicate matter. He groped for the most sincere excuse he could.

"Guys, I'll just be a sec. I've gotta get... get a glass of water." Dipper was a terrible liar and Mabel would know exactly what he was doing. He felt the sweat beading on his forehead and quickly turned on his heels to briskly walk into the kitchen where he could look at the journal for clues. He ignored Will's skeptical cat-like eyes boring into his back and prayed Mabel would distract Will in her own dorky way.

With Dipper's sudden disappearance, Mabel sat at Will's feet and started picking a few daisies which were sprouting beneath the stump he was sat on. He watched her with growing interest. Why on earth was she picking them? It seemed like a pointless task. But she hummed a non-specific but happy tune as she did so, fully immersed in her activity.

After she had a suitable handful, she sat back again, starting to peirce small holes in the stems with her nails, then threading a stem through. Mabel had made a daisy chain.

"What's that?" Will queried, leaning forward and studying it.

"You've not seen a daisy chain before?" Mabel responded.

"No? What does it do?"

Mabel started giggling and took his hand from his knee.

"It doesn't 'do' anything silly billy," she beamed, and hooked it over his hand and around it's wrist, "It's just a nice bracelet when you need to smile."

Will looked at the ring of white flowers around his wrist, contrasting with the dark material of his rugged hoody. Their petals were soft and comforting, and the daisies smelt faintly sweet. He smiled, feeling a strange heat in his cheeks. Just as Dipper ran back outside.

"Will! You could be half vampire, it's possible."

For some reason Will felt the urge to hide the daisy chain, but instead just started and sat bolt up right, the flowers in plain view.

"It- it is?" He stammered.

"Yeah, I heard somewhere that half vampires look almost human, but nearly always have a defining feature that sets them a part. Your's could be your eyes." Dipper was pacing now, back and forth as his mind kicked into gear again.

"Right, so how do we find out if I am or not?"

"Well, I thought we could run you through some tests. See how you react to them. I've got a list of things vampires don't typically like. If vampire is in your bloodline then you'll probably react to most of them at least."

He nodded. Will had to admit, it was a good idea. Better than what originally came to his mind. But getting soaked in blood and waiting for a vampire to find him and hopefully give him the answers probably wouldn't have been a good plan in the first place.

"Sure," Will stood up, "We might as well try then."

He found himself wondering if trusting these two twins was a good decision - he still hadn't seen proof that the supernatural existed. Regardless, he had no other options and he was trying to be open minded. His fingers stroked the white petals lacing his wrist.

"Great!" The siblings said in unison, "Follow me." Dipper commanded. So Will and Mabel followed, silently walking into the kitchen behind Dipper, "Take a seat." They both sat and watched him with growing interest as he rummaged through the fridge. He suddenly turned, gripping a large clove of garlic in his hand, grinning heroically and peeling the skin from it. The segment was already pretty fragrant, and peeling it only made the smell more intense.

The clove was set down on the table infront of Will, who stared at it dumbly. Mabel observed from his side, gauging his reaction as the scent grew.

"Now." Dipper said, "Pick it up, hold it to your nose, and sniff it."

The clove felt small, hard and cold in Will's fingers and he brought it to his face cautiously. There was a pause and he inhaled sharply. It was a strong and almost overpowering smell, it hit the back of the throat but faded quickly. Nothing happened.

"How do you feel?" Dipper asked.

"...Fine." Will blinked.

"Hmmm..." Dipper stepped back and began to pace again. This time the cycle was brief as he turned to Will, "Try eating it."

"Eating it?" Will mumbled. The smell was feirce, and he couldn't remember if he'd ever eaten garlic before.

"...Yeah just... just try...?" Dipper sounded unsure, but Will eyed up the peeled clove in his hand and brought it to his lips. Mabel glanced nervously at Dipper, she'd once eaten a clove of garlic and had never repeated the act.

"Dipper, are you sure...?" Mabel whispered loudly, adding to the tension, but Will was impatient and popped the cold, hard, over powering lump of scent and flavour in his mouth.

It was relatively fine. He could taste the garlic faintly on his tongue. So he bit down and started to chew. Flavour erupted onto every tastebud, so intense it burned. Will coughed softly. Then harshly as the intensity grew, so strong he didn't even want to swallow the chewed flesh of the segment. He spat it on the table and rushed to the sink, fumbling with the taps until cold water gushed onto his tongue. The faucet brought little relief so Will gulped greedily.

"Aha!" Dipper said, lifting a finger. "So you must be part-"

"Dipper!" Mabel interupted, "That's normal, that's why we don't eat tons of garlic every day. It's gross on its own. You can't say he's part vampire just based on this." She pointed to Will, who now had his entire head in the sink. Dipper groaned, his sister was right. The first test wasn't enough to confirm Will's heritage just yet.

"Will, the first test didn't work, but there's still a chance. We'll go and take the rest of the tests." Dipper grabbed Will's arm and dragged him from the cold water. He struggled weakly as the water was first taken from him, but then accepted it and followed like a sad dog.

"Right, so where to now, Dipper?" Mabel hopped from her stall and skipped over to her brother.

"To the forest. Let's see how good he is at hanging upside down from trees."


	6. Chapter 6

_AUTHOR NOTE: I appreciate your enthusiasm for more greatly and must emphasise my gratitude at your praise. However, I understand it sometimes takes a while to release chapters - simply because I am a student in University and in between University Work, Socialising and Looking for a job, my spare time is spent on this. This doesn't leave much for me and I understand it is difficult to be patient if you are enjoying the story but please understand I am trying my best to post chapters as and when I can. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope my story continues to intrigue you. ~ BrackenFox_

**Chapter 6**

By the end of the night, Will was covered in a fresh batch of new bruises. Hanging upside down ended in disaster. His legs slid from the unstable branch allowing him to plummet head first into a thorny bush. It rekindled his head ache, but Dipper had insisted on him trying to turn into a bat. The bizarre test caused more stress than necessary and Will began to feel dizzy from focussing so hard. At that point Dipper had suggested leaping from a great height to try to induce his instincts to kick in. They'd reached the roof of the mystery shack before Will backed out. There was no way he'd be jumping off the roof after the poor results of the previous tests and by now he was becoming extremely frustrated.

"C'mon, Man, you can't give up now!" Dipper pleaded, following him down the ladder and into the main attraction area of the Mystery Shack. Mabel was close behind him, her brow furrowed in concern for her new friend.

"I am not a vampire, Dipper." Will groaned, rubbing his throbbing head. "We would have had a clue by now if I was. And besides, where are you getting this stupid fantasy trash anyway?"

Dipper froze. He still couldn't tell him about the journal, but he had to come up with an excuse quickly or Will would cotton onto the fact he was hiding something.

"Gravity Falls!" Mabel cried, leaping between the two with an unusual amount of pent up energy. "It's FULL of weird things. You just have to look for them and they're there!"

Dipper nodded, choosing not to speak. Mabel's response was good enough, and it wasn't a lie either. They'd encountered enough strange goings on without the journal. Stan had seen them too. Will leant against the wall, steadying himself.

"All this has been a lot of work. We're no closer to figuring out who I am. What if my slitty eyes are just a birth defect or something?"

"It doesn't hurt to try new stuff." Mabel placed a hand on his arm, "Maybe it'll help you remember something about who you really are, creepy thing or not."

There was something about her tone of voice whenever she tried to console him that immediately cheered him up. She was right, there was no point moping around the shack until the memories found him, and he was probably better off out of Stan's way anyway. The old man didn't seem too keen on him.

"...Fine. I'll keep trying with you guys." He smiled "But can we go a bit easier on me? I don't want to be jumping off of roofs or falling out of trees any time soon."

"That's fair enough." Dipper half laughed, "Sorry, I guess I was a bit too keen."

"I say we try werewolf next!" Mabel pressed her cheek against Will's shoulder and stared at her brother.

"That sound alright, Will?" He asked.

"Yeah sure, why not. But let's do it tomorrow. I've got bruises on my bruises."

"Fair." Dipper beamed. He had to admit, he was enjoying this task. It gave him an excuse to work with the journal.

"Cool, in that case, I'm gonna go sleep in Stan's chair again." And Will hurried off to the lounge. It was already night, with the stars blanketing the sky outside.

"Night Will!" Mabel shouted as she waved frantically, then she lowered her hand and started climbing back up the ladder.

"Mabel?" Dipper was suddenly concerned. She normally would head up to brush her teeth with him about now, but with no explanation she'd clambered back up to the roof. Sensing something was on his twin sibling's mind, Dipper followed her up. "Mabel what's wrong?"

She was laying in Wendy's lounge chair on the roof, looking up at the star spattered sky, the crescent moon grinning down slyly at her. There was a chill in the air, but it was to be expected. Dipper walked slowly forward and sat on the edge, his feet dangling over. He didn't turn to give her eye contact.

"Dipper, this crush feels weird." She said after a long while of just staring into the sky.

"...What do you mean?"

"This isn't the normal giddy feeling of wondering if that guy in the street likes you. Not the one that passes after a few days. It's not like any of my other crushes. He smells good, he has an amazing smile, he's sweet, he has really nice eyes..."

"Wait, Will? Will has nice eyes?" Dipper blinked with confusion, "Uh... I mean... they're pretty unique I guess. It is Will we're talking about right?"

"Yes!" Mabel threw her hands over her face and leant forward in defeat, "But I don't feel good enough. I'm too young, I'm not pretty, I'm too weird, why would he like me?"

Dipper leapt to his feet and span to turn to his sister, he leant forward and thrusted an angry finger towards her.

"Don't you dare, Mabel! Don't you dare ever think of yourself like that! It's not like you to be like that, Mum always told you to be yourself and you start doubting that _now? _Over a _boy_!?" Dipper held his tongue for a moment and sat down on the lounge chair beside her. She was shocked at his sudden outburst, but had dropped her gaze guiltily when she realised what she had said. "Listen, Mabel." Dipper continued, his voice softer now. "Take it from me, Love makes you do and feel dumb things. But don't ever feel like you're not good enough, and if the other person doesn't think you're good enough then they aren't even worth your time anyway."

Mabel smiled at her brother and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Dipper, you're right. I'm so glad I have you for a brother."

"Just don't change for anybody. Okay?"

"Okay."

Dipper hugged her back for a moment, then they both simultaneously ended the hug by awkwardly patting each other's backs.

"Pat. Pat." They said.


End file.
